Spring of the Blade - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

He suddenly laughed, his laughter wild and handsome.

"Matchmaking? You sisters are truly deeply affectionate—one willing to snatch, the other willing to yield. Fourth Miss, do you think I am so easily fooled, or do you take me for a fool? Isn't the Second Miss bent on marrying into the Danyang Marquis's residence? Are you planning to tear apart a good match just so you can profit from it yourself?"

Qingyuan was stunned. She truly could not understand how he had learned of such private inner workings. The Palace Guard supervised detective and judicial affairs nationwide, but surely they wouldn't investigate the inner chambers of private households in such detail! She found it somewhat terrifying and looked at him in alarm, beginning to wonder if he truly possessed heaven-defying reach or if he had simply pieced together his conclusions from the events at today's banquet.

"My Second Sister is not yet betrothed. A girl from one family is sought by a hundred; whether it is the Third Young Master or the Commander, both can try—there is no harm in trying." She said this with a calm mind, and after speaking, she negotiated with him, "Can we move outside? Let’s have someone brew two cups of tea and sit down to talk. This place is dark, and there are people all around in the room next door. If this causes a misunderstanding, it won't just be my reputation that is damaged, but it will also cause the Commander to lose face. If you think about it carefully, isn't that a loss that outweighs the gain?"

Unfortunately, her words did not improve the situation in the slightest. After Shen Run took charge of the Palace Guard, he had formed a cat-and-mouse relationship with all the high-ranking officials in the court. He was accustomed to having everything under his control and had to be in a position of absolute dominance. This little girl had seemed sweet and lovely at first glance, but after interacting with her, he realized she possessed a remarkable ability to overcome strength with softness. She could smile and extricate herself from dilemmas; how could this be a girl who only knew how to compose poems and paint in her chambers? She was clearly a warrior amidst the powder and rouge.

If his anger had been somewhat heightened by the insult regarding the jade pendant earlier, his current mood was now completely replaced by a sense of mockery. Much like their encounter in the alley that night, he saw beauty in that lonely, solitary figure, and also a pitiful posture of surviving in the cracks of the world.

People in the world say that those under the Palace Guard are a group of ruthless villains in brocade robes. In truth, there isn't much kindness to be found there; it was only for a girl like this that he felt a slight stirring. Sympathizing with her and teasing her did not seem to conflict. He appreciated intelligent people; based on his experience, he could draw conclusions about a person’s character and whether they were worth deep association after just a few sentences. Xie Qingyuan was very much to his liking. Ever since she stood alone in the reception hall waiting for him—standing upright for the time it takes to drink two cups of tea without moving an inch—he knew she was someone who could hold her composure.

Perhaps only similar types of people are attracted to one another. Now that he had reached such a status, let alone a daughter of an official’s family, even proposing to the daughter of a prince or marquis would be as easy as turning over his hand. But a life that is too smooth has no texture; encountering a slight setback leaves such people at a loss. Such people cannot enter the gate of the Commander's mansion. She was better; the Shen clan was a household that had weathered storms and did not care for the distinctions between legitimate and concubine-born children. If she wanted to jump out of a fire pit, he had a ready-made comfortable nest here to catch her. If both sides could see eye to eye, why not do it?

They were very close, so close he could see the soft, light fuzz on that young face. She had beautiful eyes, and温润 (warm and moist) cheeks and ears. It was strange; while she clearly radiated innocence in every aspect, she was simultaneously filled with schemes, like a beautiful golden spoon coated in poison—one taste could be fatal.

"Get the jade pendant back and keep it safe." He took a step back in his attitude, which was the greatest degree of compromise.

Qingyuan knew that haggling at this time would spoil things, so she had to nod.

He finally withdrew his hand from beside her and slowly straightened up. The way he restrained his edge actually carried a scholarly grace.

Qingyuan was finally able to breathe easily; those few moments had felt like enduring a life-and-death struggle.

The small compartment was dim, with only a beam of light shining through the half-sealed window. Fine, blue dust swirled in that ray of sunlight. The corner of his indigo-purple robe happened to catch a bit of light, instantly outlining a dazzling golden edge. Qingyuan always felt she couldn't see through this person; even today he showed her one face, and by the next day, he would show another.

Standing opposite each other was truly awkward. The reed pipes from next door were still playing, and amidst that shrill noise, she said slowly, "I don't know if I can get back the item that fell into my Second Sister’s hands exactly as it was..."

Especially since it was sent out under Li Congxin’s name; she feared Qingru would rather smash it than return it to her! The reason this matter had gone awry was that she had miscalculated Shen Run’s attitude from beginning to end. She had thought the item he forcefully stuffed into her hand that night was merely a whim; she hadn't expected it was anything but.

Shen Run frowned. "I will find a way to get it back, but if the Fourth Miss loses it again next time, I will come to your door to hold you accountable."

Qingyuan’s heart tightened, and she nodded hurriedly. Although this matter ended with a lot of thunder but little rain, the problems left behind by the jade pendant remained. After thinking it over repeatedly, she tucked her hands into her sleeves and said, "Commander, Qingyuan is a dull person. Although I have always stayed in the deep chambers, I know the rules and proprieties. By all rights, I should not accept items from men outside, especially such a personal jade pendant. Leaving it here, I feel as if I am sitting on pins and needles every day. But since you refuse to take it back, I have no choice. I only ask that you do not make this public and preserve my dignity. Whenever you wish to retrieve it in the future, I can return it at any time."

She described herself like a pawn shop, accepting his item only to keep it temporarily, insisting that there was absolutely no romantic feeling involved. Shen Run, being a remarkably clever man, narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "The Fourth Miss surely has other things left unsaid, doesn't she?"

"There is also..." Qingyuan lowered her head, and after a long while, she looked up. Her large eyes gazed at him pitifully, her tone almost begging, "Commander, you must already know about my background. I have grievances that have not been resolved; my mother died unclearly, and I cannot let this matter drop. I only reached womanhood this past May. If someone comes to propose, I will have to leave the Xie family... I cannot leave now. I do not know how you intend to deal with me. Thinking it over, from the beginning, I have only ever held respect and admiration for you; I have never slighted or offended you. Could I please ask for your mercy, Commander? Spare me this once, and from now on, let us leave each other in peace. Consider it a favor granted to me."

But that powerful official did not speak, scrutinizing her with a mocking gaze. After a long while, he let out a soft, mocking laugh. "If the Fourth Miss has such heart, your mother should feel very comforted. It is just that I do not understand one thing: you ask me for mercy, but if someone else comes to propose, will you go and beg them as well? Or is it that as long as the person coming isn't Shen Run, everything else is fine? Viewed this way, it isn't you who has offended me, but rather I who have offended you, is that it?"

She, as expected, stopped speaking. This silence made him clench his teeth inwardly. But just as he steeled his heart to act against her, she suddenly said, "If it were anyone else, the Old Madam and the Madam at home could tolerate my polite refusal, but if it is you, Commander... I fear I would have no room to speak."

These words were spoken from the bottom of her heart. He had seen clearly from the day they let her visit the mansion alone that the Xie family wanted to attach themselves to the Commander’s mansion. Later, when he became interested in her, he naturally inquired carefully about everything concerning her. The Xie family had never intended to accept this daughter who had been left outside; they only went to great lengths to snatch her back from the Chen elders because they suspected Concubine Jin was causing trouble in the household. To the Xie family, she was like a house-guarding object. When the terms of exchange were not enticing enough, they could continue to keep her. But if one day her marriage could open the door to the capital for the Xie family, her value would truly be realized, and the "guarding" would become more justified, allowing them to hand her over.

However, he did not believe this was her entire reason. He had originally intended to tease her, but the more he spoke, the clearer things became, and he wanted to dig deeper into the underlying situation. "Is it only because of this? If I were to allow you two years to handle your own affairs, what would you think?"

Qingyuan smiled with some trepidation. "Have you and I reached the point of discussing marriage?"

"Have we not?" He asked back, feigning surprise, and then with burning eyes, he laughed recklessly. "I thought that after our many intimacies, you would have already accepted me in your heart. It turns out you haven't?" After saying this, he looked back at the door and glanced at it. "A man and a woman alone in a room together—this matter is already set in stone. Or perhaps you would like to walk out with me now and hear what your brothers think?"

He made as if to leave, and she grabbed his sleeve in terror. "Commander, you know full well that there is nothing between us. Why must you deliberately bring trouble upon yourself? If you walk out of this door, at most it will just add a bit of gossip; but my reputation will be ruined. If that truly happens, the Xie family will definitely demand an explanation from you. Are you truly willing to marry into the Xie family?"

If he only wanted the daughter and not the family, the so-called "marrying into" was only in name; how could it affect him in the slightest! But after all, he came from a scholarly family, was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics from a young age, and knew deeply how important reputation was to a girl. Jokes were jokes, but if he went too far and accidentally ruined her, he naturally knew how to measure his steps.

Lowering his eyes to look at the hand gripping his sleeve, he let out a long sigh and said, "Fine. If you won't go out, then you won't. Can you let go of me now?"

Qingyuan withdrew her hand and smiled shyly. "Thank you, Commander."

He straightened his sleeves, turned around, and paced under that thin beam of light. The golden glow haloed his brow and eyes; the clear and leisurely composure he displayed made it seem as if it were not the sun that was shining, but him.

"In truth, when I gifted you the jade pendant, my intentions were simple; I hadn't thought that far. Who would have known it would trigger such wild imaginings in you? If we speak of it, it is also my fault. Since you are worried, let us debate it thoroughly. You do not wish for me to send someone to propose, so there must be other hidden circumstances, right? Could it be that you and Li Congxin have fallen in love?"

He threw the blame back at her, speaking without his face flushing or his heart beating faster. Qingyuan realized that with her own thick skin and scheming, it was truly difficult to argue logic with him. There was no need to refute him; there are few in the world who could call gifting a jade pendant "simple intentions." Leaving those words aside, it was the Li Congxin issue. She shook her head and said, "The Third Young Master has noble character and a high status. With my background, I will not go and ask for such humiliation."

In fact, there was still some melancholy between the lines; after all, Li Congxin did have a sincere heart toward her. But living in this world, how long can romantic love last? After the affection and passion between two people fade, there remains the vast, trivial burden of the family business. There are all kinds of personnel affairs to handle—parents-in-law above, children and nephews below, and side-ways sisters-in-law. There is an endless tangle of gossip. If one were to enter such a household, it would likely be ten thousand times more difficult than in the Xie family.

Shen Run sounded satisfied. "Then is there someone else in your heart?"

Qingyuan shook her head again, feeling astonished that dealing with this Commander was becoming more and more bizarre each time. He pressed her on her private affairs, and she actually felt she had no choice but to answer. If she thought about it carefully, why? Just because he had recklessly stuffed a jade pendant into her hand, why did it feel like a binding contract had been made?

Was it because she was too wary of him? She glanced at him, and his arrogant, unbridled attitude once again made her feel fear for no reason. She suddenly felt that this hiding and dodging was completely pointless. Just like she had said to Baoxian and the others at home, perhaps if she simply spoke her mind, everything would be settled once and for all. So, she summoned her courage and called out to him, "Commander, there is no need to ask again. In any case, I will not be anyone's concubine. If that jade pendant can be retrieved, please take it back. Leaving it with me has no legitimacy; I am a girl in the deep inner chambers, and holding onto an outsider’s item is truly improper."

She said all the words that had been lingering in her heart, and only after finishing did she notice her cheeks were burning. That heat spread, crawling from her ears all the way into her collar. It was because the weather was too hot, but also because of her sudden bravery this time. Perhaps he would look down on her a little after hearing this, thinking that this little concubine-born daughter was trying to act high and mighty with him, and that her repeated refusals were actually a way of "playing hard to get" to demand the dignity of a legitimate wife. Next, he should mock her, remind her not to forget her background, and tell her not to think too highly of herself. But there was nothing wrong with cutting through the knot this way. Since she didn't want to get involved with him, saying it all in a few words meant there was no need to go in circles anymore.

Qingyuan was already prepared to receive his mockery, but the development of things seemed to be not exactly what she had imagined.

Shen Run was indeed very surprised by her words "I will not be anyone's concubine," but he wasn't surprised by the statement itself; he was only surprised by why she would think he wanted her to be his concubine.

"Fourth Miss, you do not fear authority; you have a strong backbone." As he said this, he furrowed his brows slightly. She stood with her back to the light, and a strand of hair hung down from her temple, giving her a beauty in her disarray.

Qingyuan maintained her calm and unpretentious tone. "Commander, you know that my mother was a concubine who was thrown out by the Xie family like a dog and still carries the charge of murder. I asked Grandmother Chen what kind of person my mother was, and Grandmother said she was gentle and compliant, and that she died of a broken heart shortly after giving birth to me. It is clear how much injustice she suffered. If she were still alive, she would never allow me to follow her old path; there is not a woman in the world who loves to be someone else's concubine. I know how you see me at this moment—nothing more than having a heart higher than heaven but a fate thinner than paper. But since this is what I think, there is nothing to hide. I would rather never marry for the rest of my life than ever be someone else's plaything. Please forgive me, Commander."

Shen Run gave an "Hmm." "Speaking heart-to-heart is never a bad thing, but when did I ever say I wanted you to be my concubine?"

She looked over in confusion, not understanding what he meant at all. He held the rank of a second-tier official, was a new favorite of the court, a red-hot figure under the Emperor's throne, and a good match in the eyes of many daughters from noble families. Would he really be aiming for a serious commitment with an unwelcome concubine-born daughter like her?

Clearly not. Qingyuan smiled. "You never said it, Commander. It is just that I am ashamed of my own humble status and dare not reach for the high branch."

Shen Run fell silent for a moment. He had originally wanted to say something, but in the end, he gave up; after all, she was too young, and saying too much might scare her.

"I will retrieve the jade pendant for you, Fourth Miss." His voice was low and hoarse. He reached out and tucked the strand of hair hanging by her temple behind her ear. His fingers, which were accustomed to swords and blades, were also capable of creating top-tier sentimentality. Under her stunned gaze, he gave her a lazy smile. "My words remain the same: keep it safe. Perhaps one day I will come to inspect it. When that time comes, if you cannot produce it, don't blame me for being discourteous. I will inform your Old Madam, and I fear you won't even be a concubine then; you will have to be a 'tongfang' (servant-concubine). Do you understand?"

Qingyuan was so startled by that action that she was dumbstruck, and she could only nod blankly.